Log barker



Sept. 22, 1936.

A. HOKONSON LOG BARKER Filed June 18, 1934 Patented Sept. 22, 1936 PATENT OFFICE 1 LOG BARKER Albert Hokonson,

Coghlan, British Columbia, Canada Application June 18,1934, Serial No. 731,088

1 Claim; (01. 15-183) My invention relates generally to log debarking 1 machines and more specifically to rotary rossing brushes and log turning and propelling apparatus used in conjunction therewith and the primary object of my invention is to provide means for quickly and cheaply removing the bark from logs, minimizing the amount of handling of the logs and the amount of power'required, greatly increasing the speed of debarking, and facilitating the control of the log and brush so that the bark may be evenly removed.

A further object of my invention is to improve the construction of brushes used for this purpose by providing for rugged Construction, easy removal of units for replacement or repair without special equipment and without handling or removing the heavier portions of the brush.

And a further feature of this invention resides in the arrangement of the brush with reference to the log so that each portion thereof will normally receive an equal rossing treatment.

' The nature of my invention will be more clear-; ly understood when reference is had to the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the assembly showing the brush in operative position on a log and the log being propelled lengthwise by the share and simultaneously rotated by a set of rolls. 1

Figure 2 is an end elevation of the rotary'brush.

Figure 3 is a side elevation of the rotary brush.

Figure 4v is a side sectional view of the rotary brush shown as taken on the line 4-4 in Figure 2.

Figure 5 is a View of the two main portions of the rotary brush, on a reduced scale and in perspective, the two portions being shown in staggered arrangement as when assembled.

In the drawing similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the several views:

The log I may be led, by means of any suitable conveyor means, onto a series of paired rolls 2, 2, etc., of which only the proximate roll of each pair is shown in the elevation drawing, and these rolls are rotated, all in the same direction, to turn the log.

These rolls may also be spirally fluted as at 3 so as to urge the log longitudinally over the same and to also aid in cutting and loosening the bark, the means used to rotate the rolls usually comprising sprocket wheels 4 fixed to the spindle of each roll and chain driven from similar sprocket wheels on the shaft 5, suitable bearings and supports being provided for all these members and generally indicated at 6.

The means to drive the shaft 5 has been omitted from the drawing as involving no invention. The preferred method of causing and controlling the forward movement of the log is by the use of a share 1 which is removably mounted in i as at l l and actuated by the adjustable weight !2,

When the log is turned by the rolls 2 the angular inclination of the share 1 will determine the speed of movement lengthwiseof the log and the lever I3, extending through a slot in the side of the retaining block 9 and engaging the forked cylindrical member 8, may be used to change the angle of said share, thus providing a simple speed control.

Since a skilful operator seldom requires a re verse movement of the log the rolls are preferably mounted at a dip so that the legs will be gently urged forward and downward towards the rotary brush.

It should be understood that, as herein described, my rossing brushes may be used in conjunction with other debarking apparatus but these brushesby actual performance, have been shown capable of removing bark satisfactorily without the aid of any other bark removing apparatus and the rolls 2 may, therefore, be made plain instead of fluted and serve to turn the logs only, in which case the share 1 or other suitable propelling apparatus can be relied upon to move the logs longitudinally into contact with the brush.

When the log has been carried forward so that its leading edge is directly below the compound rotary brush, the brush may be lowered by raising the lever M which is pivotally suspended from the overhead beam structure l5and is operatively connected with the brush by any suitable apparatus by means of which the brush may be conveniently lowered onto the log.

This brush is mounted by means of its central shaft I6 on the ends of the arms H, which are pivotally supported on any suitable beam structure 18. The brush is caused to rotate by the belt I9 which passes around a pulley on the brush shaft l6 and a pulley on any suitable power driven shaft rotatably supported on the beam structure l8 as illustrated in Figure 1.

similar end plates 3!, 31 each of which is dilateral movement thereof is possible and the irregularities of the log are followed.

These last two features of my brush mounting means, the result of much experimentation, appear to hold the secret of successful operation.

The rotary brush is of novel construction.-' There are twosimilar main portions 2 2; 22 each 1 being of truncated conical form, and each having a ing' splay mortised centrally along their length to aceomodate an equal number of dovetail brush sections 24.

Each brush section 24 has rigidly secured therein a plurality of spaced wire bristle units 25 which may be short lengths of wire cable fitted into flaring holes drilled'in the body portion of the brush sections and retained in these holes by babbiting the same at the lower or flaring ends of these holes as indicated at 26.

In the assembled brush the two main portions 22, 22 are separated by the centre plate 2? and are keyed onto the shaftv l6 asat 28 so that'the ribs 23 of each portion are in staggered relation to prevent the brush from dancing'on the log when in operation, and these two portions are held together .by the bolts 29 passed through the bolt holes 30. a The brush'fsections are slipped into the mortises of the ribs 23. and are retained in place by the vided,as indicated at'32, into two parts to facili-. tate their removal and thus permit the easy extraction .of ,the brush sections for repair or replacement. 1 l 1 These divided end platesfil are bolted to the corresponding portions 22 as shown atv 33.

I shall now briefly describe the operation of my invention; the logs-to be debarkedare moved lengthwise, one at a time, ontothe rotating rolls and being turned thereby are simultaneously propelled forward by the action of the. stationary share 1 which makes a helical cut in the .bark

of the log and being forced into engagement therewith by the action of the weighted lever l and adjustable by the lever l3 provides a sensitive means for controlling the speed of advance of the log. y

The compound rotary brush controllable by the lever I4 is then lowered by the operator and being rapidly rotated by its shaft and suitable power means abrades the bark from the log as fast as the log is fed forward by the share i, the brush following the irregularities of the log by reason of its loose mounting hereinbefore described.

The brush units when in need of repair are accessible by first removing the adjacent portion of the end plate 3| and slipping the brush section out of the mortised rib 23, when the babbit holding the wire bristles in place may be melted and new bristle units installed. plurality of strong external ribs 23, the ribs -be*- Having thus fully disclosed the essential features of my invention and how the same may be carried into practice, I wish to point out that theQ foregoing should be construed as descriptive and not limiting since diiferent structural modifications, especially with regard to the means of mounting and arranging the different elements, might necessarily and properly be resorted to all within the scope and spirit of the appended claims but I am aware that fluted rolls and rotary brushes have previously been used in rossing machines and I do not, therefore, claim such devices broadly but what I do claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

A compound rotary rossing brush comprising two truncated cones with their smaller ends juxtaposed and each having a plurality of mortised ribs, mortised brush sections to fit into said mortised ribs, a center plate between said cones forming an abutment for said sections, four semicircular end plates arranged two on each of the outer ends of said cones to hold said sections in place, said plates being centrally recessed and said cones and center plate being drilled with holes to allow the insertion of bolts spanning and holding said cones and center plate together, meansto-secure said four end plates to the outer ends of, said cones so that each of said plates can be removed independently of the others to allow the removal of any number of said sections without dismantling the complete, brush, and the necessary complement of a central drive shaft.

, ALBERT I-IOKONSON. 

